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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Building A Free Libya

By Ali Suleiman Aujali

For
decades, the possibility of a Libya without Moammar Gaddafi seemed just a
dream. But today, Tripoli’s central square is adorned with the three colors of
the pro-democracy forces’ flag. The once-omnipresent pictures of Gaddafi are
gone. As that regime gasps its last breath, the Libyan people and the National
Transitional Council (NTC) are writing the first chapter of a free Libya.

The
NTC has been planning this transition for more than six months. Our
accomplishments in the midst of the turbulence of war foreshadow what a free
Libya can accomplish in the years to come.

Some
in the international community question the NTC and what it stands for. The
answer lies in our name. We are a “transitional” government responsible for
steering the nation from an intense conflict with Gaddafi regime forces, now
approaching its end, to the establishment of a democratic government. While
leading pro-democracy forces on the battlefield and planning to stabilize those
areas where fighting continues, we have worked to meet civilians’ basic needs
and created an interim representative body. We are committed to establishing a
stable Libya, where all citizens, regardless of background, gender, affiliation
or faith can return to their daily lives, be free and have a voice in civic
affairs.

Our
road map for building democracy and civil society includes the drafting of a
constitution by a representative authority, the approval of the constitution by
a popular referendum and, then, for the first time in Libya’s history, holding
free elections for a representative government.

There
is a great deal of work ahead. One of our most important tasks will be
preventing further unrest. The order of the day must be justice and not
revenge. Libyans will always remember what we fought for and what we
sacrificed, but the NTC is committed to the process of forgiving, rebuilding
and moving forward.

The
NTC has made clear that it condemns any form of reprisal attacks; in the new
Libya, the human rights of all citizens must be respected. We recognize the
importance of making sure every Libyan has a stake in the creation of a
democratic nation.

The
NTC could not have achieved its military successes without the help of NATO and
the countries that rushed to its aid. We now call on those same countries, and
the many others that have since recognized the NTC, to assist with rebuilding.
As with the military campaign, the NTC does not need a significant
international presence on the ground, but Libya does need international
support.

Such
support should include assistance in the form of technical experts to help with
our transition to democracy, organizing free elections, building democratic
institutions and restarting the economy; support for the NTC to be seated as
the government of Libya when the U.N. General Assembly meets this month; and
accreditation by the World Bank and technical assistance from both the bank and
the International Monetary Fund. (The IMF’s recognition over the weekend was a
good step.)

Libya
will need substantial funds to rebuild, but it is not looking for handouts.
Billions of dollars the Gaddafi regime invested around the world have been
frozen — some $35 billion by the United States alone. This is the Libyan
people’s money. Washington recently unfroze $1.5 billion for humanitarian
needs. Britain and France have unfrozen similar amounts. This is a good start,
but it’s just a start. The international community should work with the NTC to
unfreeze more of these funds and transfer them in a responsible, transparent
manner to the NTC so that the council can address Libya’s pressing needs and
begin rebuilding. The NTC also calls on the international community to help it
track down funds still hidden by Gaddafi.

In
February, the youth of Libya rose up. They were the driving force in making
this beginning possible, and Libyans everywhere are thankful for their
incredible bravery and sacrifice. We are rebuilding Libya for them and for many
future generations. We are asking them to participate in all aspects of civic
affairs and government.

Building
a free and democratic Libya will be hard work. But if we move forward with the
same courage and selflessness of the people who took to the streets on Feb. 17,
I am confident we will prevail.

-This commentary was published in The Washington Post on
13/09/2011
-Ali Suleiman Aujali is Libya’s ambassador to the United States. He was
previously the official representative of National Transitional Council to the
United States

About Me

I graduated from the French University in Beirut (St Joseph) specialising in Political and Economic Sciences. I started my working life in 1973 as a reporter and journalist for the pan-Arab magazine “Al-Hawadess” in Lebanon later becoming its Washington, D.C. correspondent. I subsequently moved to London in 1979 joining “Al-Majallah” magazine as its Deputy Managing Editor. In 1984 joined “Assayad” magazine in London initially as its Managing Editor and later as Editor-in-Chief. Following this, in 1990 I joined “Al-Wasat” magazine (part of the Dar-Al-Hayat Group) in London as a Managing Editor. In 2011 I became the Editor-In-Chief of Miraat el-Khaleej (Gulf Mirror). In July 2012 I became the Chairman of The Board of Asswak Al-Arab Publishing Ltd in UK and the Editor In Chief of its first Publication "Asswak Al-Arab" Magazine (Arab Markets Magazine) (www.asswak-alarab.com).

I have already authored five books. The first “The Tears of the Horizon” is a love story. The second “The Winter of Discontent in The Gulf” (1991) focuses on the first Gulf war sparked by Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. His third book is entitled “Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: From Balfour Promise to Bush Declaration: The Complications and the Road to a Lasting Peace” (March 2008). The fourth book is titled “How Iran Plans to Fight America and Dominate the Middle East” (October 2008) And the fifth and the most recent is titled "JIHAD'S NEW HEARTLANDS: Why The West Has Failed To Contain Islamic Fundamentalism" (May 2011).

Furthermore, I wrote the memoirs of national security advisor to US President Ronald Reagan, Mr Robert McFarlane, serializing them in “Al-Wasat” magazine over 14 episodes in 1992.

Over the years, I have interviewed and met several world leaders such as American President Bill Clinton, British Prime Minister Margaret Thacher, Late King Hassan II of Morocco, Late King Hussein of Jordan,Tunisian President Zein El-Abedine Bin Ali, Lybian Leader Moammar Al-Quadhafi,President Amine Gemayel of Lebanon,late Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, Late Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat, Haitian President Jean Claude Duvalier, Late United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan,Algerian President Shazli Bin Jdid, Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Siyagha and more...